The Big Society was a sociopolitical concept of the first 15 years of the 21st century, that was developed by the populist Steve Hilton, that sought to integrate free market economics with a conservative paternalist conception of the social contract that was influenced by the 1990s civic conservatism of David Willetts. Big Society influenced the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto and the legislative programme of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement. The relevant policy areas were devolved in Northern Ireland, in Scotland and in Wales, to, respectively, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government. The Big Society failed: British PM David Cameron, and subsequent British Governments, declined to publicly use the term 'Big Society' after 2013; and the Big Society Network was dissolved in 2014; and the unfavorable conclusive 'Big Society' audit, by Civil Exchange, was published in January 2015. Launch Following the election of a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government at the 2010 general election, the new Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron launched the initiative in July with a speech at Liverpool Hope University accompanied by screenwriter and television producer Phil Redmond. The stated priorities were: Give communities more powers (localism and devolution) Encourage people to take an active role in their communities (volunteerism) Transfer power from central to local government Support co-ops, mutuals, charities and social enterprises Publish government data (open/transparent government) The plans included setting up a Big Society Bank and a Big Society Network to fund projects, and introducing a National Citizen Service. The Lord Wei, one of the founders of the Teach First charity, was appointed by Cameron to advise the government on the Big Society programme. He carried out the role until May 2011 when Shaun Bailey and Charlotte Leslie were moved into the Cabinet Office to work on the project. Four initial "vanguard areas" were selected: Liverpool (withdrew from pilot in February 2011) Eden, Cumbria Sutton, Greater London Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire. Initiatives The Big Society Network was set up in 2010 in order "to generate, develop and showcase new ideas to help people to come together in their neighbourhoods to do good things." It was owned by a charity called The Society Network Foundation. During its first four years of existence the Big Society Network was funded with approximately £2 million of National Lottery funding and public-sector grants. In July 2014, a National Audit Office report criticised the